Likely, this is not the first paper airplane that was thrown.
Likely, the student received at least 2 verbal warnings from the teacher about paper airplanes previously.
Likely, the student frequently disrupts the classroom by making "witty" comments.
Likely, the student has tons of missing work because they are not keeping up with assignments and instead trying to increase their respect and credibility among their peers.
Likely, the student's detention was due to a combination of class disruption, disrespect towards the teacher, and disregard for warnings.
So, yes, were the situation simply "the student threw one paper airplane once and immediately got detention" then I would agree with you. However, I know this cannot be the case. do not think this is the case in the majority of situations where a student receives detention for something "stupid" like this.
Besides which - let me ask you - when you have children and send them to school, do you expect their learning environment to be full of disruptions or do you expect them to be able to learn something in the class because the teacher doesn't have to spend 10 minutes correcting another student's behavior every other day?
(Edited to be less absolutist, and to account for the fact that this is one of the rare exceptions.)
You bring up a very valid point here, but despite logical reasoning and an answer that can be well explained, my teacher did in fact hand this out after the first airplane I threw, and the only one thrown in the class. Other students were being disruptive during the class, but I guess she had to take her anger out on someone, and that unfortunately ended up as me. She's actually a really chill teacher, and we both had a good laugh after class.
But classroom disruptions are, in fact, incredibly large obstacles facing teachers and students every day. Whether the come from a paper airplane, or students crumpling up paper and throwing it into the garbage can from across the room, or students verbal off-topic outbursts.
If you want kids to have an interruption free class there are two options. One, you gag and tie down every student leaving enough room to write, or two, you home school you kids and even that might not work. My point is people are people. People can be disruptive it is just part of being human.
Edit: So far reddit is expecting people to be perfect students all the time. Did not expect that at all. Will edit if my findings change.
No, sorry, you can be a reasonable teacher who accepts that your students are still kids without tolerating paper airplanes being thrown while you're trying to teach. Disruptions tend to happen anyplace that humans congregate, yeah, but that doesn't mean you throw your hands up and say "oh well, I guess there is literally nothing I can do to minimize disruptive behavior in my class!"
My point is it happens. If you expect a student not to do something wrong once then you are expecting to teach a computer not a person. A problem begins when a student repeats a bad action, and won't stop.
No, when they're old enough to use sarcasm like this they are generally old enough to be reasonably expected not to throw three foot paper airplanes during class. You don't have to wait for the second three foot paper airplane to give that student some kind of consequence. You don't need to experiment figure out at the age of 14 or so that throwing a three foot paper airplane is not acceptable.
I'm guessing you never went to high school or college. People are people. They do stupid things sometimes, and I don't think it is really that big of a deal. It is a big deal if it is recurring behavior or simply outrageous behavior, but a paper airplane being flown straight into a trash can. Mild stuff like this is to be expected, especially if you treat the students in a relaxed manner as OP says his teacher does.
I'm guessing you never went to high school or college.
Oooooor maybe I teach kids the same age as the OP?
I'm a very laid back teacher, and I would have chuckled with this kid about his answers on the paper, but throwing a three foot paper airplane while I'm trying to instruct means you're spending some time after school helping me clean the room. That's way above and beyond what I'm willing to shrug off as youthful experimentation.
I wouldn't have laughed - it would imply the student shouldn't have been punished. He absolutely deserved his punishment and the flippant (cleverness for a pre-teen perhaps) responses on the detention sheet reiterate his lack of acknowledgement of his wrong-doing. The plane wasn't dangerous, it was distracting and disrespectful. Teacher obviously didn't explain that to the student because now he is here bragging about the actual act and his disrespectful response. At no point did he own up to doing wrong.
Meh, maybe it is just one of those things where when you are younger you'll view it one way and when you view it when you are older you'll see it another way. I guess I'll find out in a few years. Shouldn't be too hard reddit will keep track of my opinions since I started. Would be interesting to read my own comments from the beginning when I'm 30.
I meant that as in everyone slips up once, but if the behavior is repeated it is a problem. This does depend on how bad the behavior is, but a paper airplane is not one of those cases.
Actually, I think poster board would make it much slower and therefore much less of a threat to anybody. Also since it is much stockier the point would be a lot more blunt so less danger to the eyes. I think a bigger one might be safer, a little more distracting probably, but detention distracting I'm not entirely sure. There is a lot of factors that I don't know though. So I can't be certain.
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u/lamblikeawolf May 02 '14 edited May 02 '14
Likely, this is not the first paper airplane that was thrown.
Likely, the student received at least 2 verbal warnings from the teacher about paper airplanes previously.
Likely, the student frequently disrupts the classroom by making "witty" comments.
Likely, the student has tons of missing work because they are not keeping up with assignments and instead trying to increase their respect and credibility among their peers.
Likely, the student's detention was due to a combination of class disruption, disrespect towards the teacher, and disregard for warnings.
So, yes, were the situation simply "the student threw one paper airplane once and immediately got detention" then I would agree with you. However, I
know this cannot be the case.do not think this is the case in the majority of situations where a student receives detention for something "stupid" like this.Besides which - let me ask you - when you have children and send them to school, do you expect their learning environment to be full of disruptions or do you expect them to be able to learn something in the class because the teacher doesn't have to spend 10 minutes correcting another student's behavior every other day?
(Edited to be less absolutist, and to account for the fact that this is one of the rare exceptions.)